Photography lets you capture moments and tell stories with pictures. You'll learn how light, focus, and composition make a great photo, then try different subjects and edit your work. A phone camera is a great place to start.
Why it's worth it
A good photo can make people care about a place, a cause, or a moment they'll never see in person. This badge teaches you to see like a photographer: to notice light, choose what goes in the frame, and tell a story in a handful of images. A phone camera is plenty to start. You'll come away able to document your troop's adventures, make better photos for school projects, and maybe find a hobby or career that takes you all over the world.
Start this week
- Take ten photos of the same object today from different angles and distances, then pick the one you like best and say why.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Photography counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Watch the Digital Safety video with a parent for requirement 1 and talk about what's okay to share.
- Open your phone or camera settings and find the focus, exposure, and grid line options.
Stay safe
- Ask before photographing people, and never post photos of other Scouts or share where you are without a parent's okay.
- Watch your footing while shooting. Stay back from cliff edges, water, and traffic when your eye is in the viewfinder.
Requirements · 8
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Safety
Tips for this section: Watch the Digital Safety video and talk about staying safe when taking and sharing photos.
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor the hazards you're most likely to face doing photography and how to anticipate, lessen, prevent, and respond to them. Explain how you'd prepare for conditions like weather, sun, and water
- Requirement 1b
With your parent's or guardian's permission, watch the Personal Safety Awareness "Digital Safety" video
- Requirement 2
What makes a good picture
Tips for this section: Take the same picture with different settings or angles and see how it changes.
Example for this section: Shoot the same flower three ways: with a close-up blurry background, with everything sharp, and in harsh noon sun versus soft evening light. Use the pictures to explain depth of field, exposure, and the rule of thirds.
- Requirement 2a
Explain how light affects a picture: natural (existing) light, dim light like nighttime, and artificial light like a flash
- Requirement 2b
Explain how exposure affects a picture: aperture (f-stops), shutter speed, and ISO
- Requirement 2c
Explain how depth of field affects a picture
- Requirement 2d
Explain how composition affects a picture: rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, and depth
- Requirement 2e
Explain how angle of view affects a picture
- Requirement 2f
Explain how stopping action and blurring motion affect a picture
- Requirement 2g
Explain the decisive moment, when the photographer catches an action or expression, and how it affects a picture
- Requirement 3
Explain a camera's basic parts and how it works, and how a picture's exposure is made when you press the shutter
Tip: Look at your camera or phone settings and learn what each one does.
- Requirement 4
Compare techniques. Choose 2 of 4
Tips for this section: Pick two comparisons, like shooting with and without a flash, and share the results with your counselor.
Example for this section: Two comparisons might be a portrait lit by a flash versus window light (4b), and the same flower with a blurry background versus everything sharp (4c). Show the pairs side by side and explain what changed.
- Requirement 4a
Shoot one subject from two different angles or points of view, and share the photos with your counselor
- Requirement 4b
Shoot one subject in two kinds of light, artificial and natural, and share the photos with your counselor
- Requirement 4c
Shoot one subject using two different depths of field, and share the photos with your counselor
- Requirement 4d
Shoot one subject using two different composition techniques, and share the photos with your counselor
- Requirement 5
Subjects to photograph. Choose 3 of 6
Tips for this section: Try a person, a landscape, and an action shot. Take lots of photos and pick your best.
Example for this section: Pick three subjects: a portrait of a family member, a landscape from a hike, and an action shot like a pet running or a sibling shooting baskets. Take 20 or more of each, then choose your favorite.
- Requirement 5a
Take a close-up of a person and share it with your counselor
- Requirement 5b
Photograph two or three people interacting and share it with your counselor
- Requirement 5c
Take an action shot and share it with your counselor
- Requirement 5d
Photograph an animal and share it with your counselor
- Requirement 5e
Take a nature shot and share it with your counselor
- Requirement 5f
Photograph a person (candid, posed, or aware of the camera) and share it with your counselor
- Requirement 6
Describe how editing software can improve a photo after you take it. Then pick one of your own photos, do one of 6a through 6c, and show your counselor what you did. Choose 1 of 3
Tip: Use a free editing app to crop, brighten, or adjust colors.
For example: Take one photo from a campout and edit it with a free app: straighten the horizon, crop to strengthen the composition, and lift the shadows. Show the before and after and explain each change.
- Requirement 6a
Crop the photo
- Requirement 6b
Adjust its exposure or correct its color
- Requirement 6c
Show some other way to give the photo more impact
- Requirement 7
Photo story
Tips for this section: Pick a story, like a campout or a family event, and plan the shots before you start.
Example for this section: Plan a story of 8 to 12 images about making dinner: shopping, chopping, the steam from the pot, hands serving, the family at the table. Sketch the shot list first so the story has a beginning, middle, and end.
- Requirement 7a
Plan the shots for a photo story documenting an event or a topic you're interested in, using new images, not ones made for requirements 4, 5, or 6
- Requirement 7b
Share your plan with your counselor and get their input and approval before you start
- Requirement 7c
Choose the 8 to 12 images that tell your story best and put them in order, either mounted as prints on poster board or in an electronic presentation. Share your photo story with your counselor
- Requirement 8
Name three photography careers. Choose one and tell your counselor how someone gets ready for it, including the education and training needed, and why it might interest you
Tip: Talk with a local photographer about their work, or research jobs in photography.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A photography exhibit at an art museum or gallery
Seeing large prints in person shows you how composition and light work in the hands of a master.
How: Go with your family or patrol. Check the museum's website for free days or youth tours.
A photography club meeting or photo walk
Club members share tips and often run walks where beginners can ask questions.
How: A parent can contact the club and ask if a Scout and parent can join a meeting or a public photo walk together.
Where it can lead
- PhotojournalistTells news stories with images for newspapers, magazines, and websites.
- Portrait or event photographerPhotographs families, weddings, and events; many run their own small business.
- Forensic photographerDocuments crime scenes and evidence for police and courts.
- Military photographerEvery branch trains service members to document operations and events.
- Scientific photographerCaptures images through microscopes, telescopes, or in the field for researchers.
Ask yourself
- What kind of moments do you most want to remember with a camera?
- Which of your photos tells a story without any words, and why does it work?
- What did you learn about light that changed how you shoot?
- How do you decide what's okay to photograph and share, and what isn't?
- Whose photography inspires you, and what would you like to try next?
Good questions to ask a professional photographer or your counselor
- How do you plan a shoot, and how much do you leave to chance?
- What do you look for when choosing your best photo out of hundreds?
- How do you get permission to photograph people?
- What gear actually matters, and what can a beginner skip?
- How did you turn photography into a job?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Let scouts be the troop photographers at events and campouts.
- Review the Digital Safety guidelines with scouts before they share photos online.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Camera store or photography club — Tips, gear, and photo walks.
- Local newspaper photographer — A real-world look at photo careers.
- Public library — Books, videos, and a librarian who can help you dig deeper.
- International Center of Photography (opens in a new tab) — A photography museum and school with exhibits you can explore online.
- NPS Photography (opens in a new tab) — Photo tips and the National Park Service's guide to photographing parks responsibly.
- NetSmartz (opens in a new tab) — Advice on staying safe when you share photos online.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.